Crowd favourite back for Sharks after injury
It's been six long months since Craig Davidson last donned a Sharks jersey, but against the Free State Cheetahs on Saturday in Durban, the crowd favourite will once again be the joker behind the pack.
Davidson is loved by teammates and fans alike for his humour and friendly nature, but it is his reckless disregard for his body which has earned him respect.
The scrumhalf is known to make big hits on the park and is arguably pound-for-pound the best tackler the Sharks have.
"Yes, I've been out for a long time with my shoulder," said Davidson.
"The last game I played for the Sharks was their third Super 12 game, and a lot has happened since then. I had to be cautious during the rehab, and was advised not to rush back," he said.
"Because rugby is a contact sport, I was told to take off between four to six months of no contact. Maybe if I was playing a sport like cricket I could have been back sooner, but my shoulder needed the rest," Davidson added.
With the Sharks team filled with talented youngsters like flyhalf Ruan Pienaar, centre Waylon Murray (who will miss the Free State game with an ankle injury) and fullback JP Pietersen the 28-year-old Davidson finds himself being an elder statesman.
"I might be 28, but I still feel 22," laughed Davidson. This weekend Davidson will find himself marking the Springbok scrumhalf Michael Claassens which will be a big test for him considering the time he spent on the sidelines.
"Yes the Cheetahs have a world-class half-back combination with Michael Claassens and Willem de Waal, but I'm looking forward to the challenge of playing them.
Our forwards have done awesomely this season and are securing ball for the backs to work with. As far as I'm concerned, this team is on the up and up and I'm glad to be a part of it."
Teams
Sharks:
15 JP Pietersen, 14 Adrian Jacobs, 13 Rudi Keil, 12 Gcobani Bobo, 11 Henno Mentz, 10 Ruan Pienaar, 9 Craig Davidson, 8 Jacques Botes, 7 Nico Breedt, 6 Warren Britz, 5 Johann Muller (captain), 4 Albert van den Berg, 3 Brendon Botha, 2 Skipper Badenhorst, 1 Deon Carstens.
Reserves:
16 Louwtjie Louw, 17 Danie Saayman, 18 Werner Cronje, 19 Solly Tyibilika, 20 Jaco Gouws, 21 Dave von Hoesslin, 22 Brett Hennessey
Cheetahs:
15 Bevin Fortuin, 14 Eddie Fredericks, 13 Dale Heidtman, 12 Barry Goodes, 11 Trompie Nontshinga, 10 Willem de Wall, 9 Michael Claassens, 8 Ryno van der Merwe, 7 Barend Pietersen, 6 Hendro Scholtz, 5 Corniel van Zyl, 4 Boela du Plooy, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Naka Droske (captain), 1 Wian du Preez
Reserves:
16 Trevor Leota, 17 Pierre du Randt, 18 Juan Smith, 19 Kabamba Floors, 20 Noel Oelschig, 21 MJ Smith, 22 Sinethemba Zweni
Kick-off:
5pm
TV:
SS1/M-Net
Weekend Programme
Friday night:
Blue Bulls v Leopards, Kick-off:
7pm
TV:
SS1/M-Net
Saturday:
Lions v WP
Kick-off:
3pm
TV:
SS1/M-Net